Monday, February 17, 2014

Things may be getting away from me these days. A few of those things have begun to pile up around here and I have that sinking feeling I may be in the midst of too many projects at once, as evidenced by my desk, below. Usually I try to keep it at a low hum, with one or two things on the needles, one thing in testing, one thing in editing and one in concept stage. That's not what the desk says, is it? You aren't even seeing the other sweater projects grouped on the floor below.

So yeah, I probably did let things get away from me here, and the scary part is that I didn't really even see it happening until now, as I sit knee-deep in both real and imaginary deadlines and look around. On the desk are a few manhats, the beginnings of some mitts, another hat that will be part of a textured mini-collection, a sport weight sweater awaiting colorwork, a whole bunch of Bello needing love, and sweater swatches in Bare Naked Wools. Plus my second version of a my Colorwork Cowl that still needs a name.

This is what the Finished Knits Chair has going on. The Creme de Menthe shawl and unnamed Plucky Cowl on top are with Dawn (my tech editor) and just need photos before publishing, so that's good, right? The cozy pink cardigan, named Paloma, folded on the bottom is in testing, so I'm in a holding pattern there.

But the lovely lace one in the middle? That one is in a timeout. It's knit and finished and I love it, only almost. Something isn't right and I am delaying the inevitable moment when I frog back half the yoke and redo the neckline. I just can't put my finger on what I want to do differently so I don't want to rip just yet. I put it on the dressmaker dummy, look at it each day, and evaluate. And change my mind. But luckily, that deadline is an imaginary one, so it's OK that it keeps moving farther back in time. However, it's weighing heavy on my mind and until I have my "aha" moment, it kills me that it is just sitting in the pile, waiting. A whole sweater, just sitting. In Primo Aran no less. The guilt increases each day.

However, I can feel like there's a little forward motion in the air, since this is about ready to go.

Ibisco, is my date sweater. It's not physically on the chair, since it's off with Judy of Ball and Skein, traveling around in her booth to fiber shows right now. I plan to release the pattern next week - since every sweater knitter on Ravelry is working through their Olympic knit and wouldn't cast on till then anyways. So, that's one thing about to move off. The others?

The rest of them need to be figured out, prioritized and dealt with. Or like the hat below, just finished up. And probably not this week.

February vacation has just begun, and although I have an hour to blog now while Maya practices guitar and Zoe works on a cartoon project, I don't see myself getting too far ahead on that desk until both girls are back to their routines. So, this is "Hi". And a little update on what's what's going on around here. I should have been knitting maybe, but it felt like time to check in with all of you before the week gets underway.

Maybe I'll get organizing. I want to at least hang my birthday present on the office wall.